The Master wasn't lying—the food at this restaurant was really good, and the atmosphere was fantastic.
There were indeed many beautiful women here.
Although most of them had partners, occasionally coming here to feast one's eyes like the Master did wasn't really a big deal.
As long as you weren't afraid of getting smacked.
Rhodes could guarantee that while eating, he wasn't glancing around because he felt fully satisfied just occasionally looking at the person in front of him.
Today, Mirajane was wearing a black long dress. Besides a ribbon around her neck, there were no other decorations.
Her hairstyle was the same as usual, only the elastic band tying her hair matched her black outfit.
Simple, but beautiful.
Mirajane suddenly paused, wiped the corner of her mouth with a napkin, and asked, "Do I have bad table manners?"
Rhodes said, "Not at all, you're... very normal. Why do you ask?"
He couldn't think of a word to describe her table manners at that moment.
She took a small mirror out of her purse, "Because you've been looking up at me, I thought I had something on my face."
Is it possible that I just wanted to look at you?
Rhodes thought for a moment before saying, "Because you always have the same hairstyle unless you wear a hat.
I was wondering what you'd look like with your bangs down."
Mirajane blinked, took the small elastic off the top of her head, and let her bangs fall over her forehead, smoothing them down gently.
She looked at herself in the mirror, saw nothing wrong, and looked up, "Like this?"
"..." The last time he'd only caught a brief glimpse, thinking it would look nice. But looking at her in detail this time, it was stunning.
"Too beautiful... I want Lidas to paint it exactly as it is, though I doubt he could do it justice."
Rhodes had to wonder if her usual hairstyle was meant to suppress her overwhelming beauty.
Though, she always looked great.
"Oh, that's too much praise."
A bit flustered, Mirajane quickly tied her hair back up. Rhodes felt a twinge of regret.
Lunch ended in a nice atmosphere, and Rhodes prepared to get up to pay.
"Wait a minute." Mirajane called to him.
"What's wrong?"
"That looks like Loke."
"Loke?" Rhodes wanted to say how they always seemed to run into acquaintances, but then he thought about it, and it made sense.
"Meeting Loke in a place like this makes sense, right?"
Mirajane gave him a pointed look. You do know it's 'a place like this.'
Rhodes wasn't guilty at all. I only found out it was that kind of place after coming here.
"Without even turning around, I can guess he has two girls with him again."
Mirajane denied, "No, a third just arrived."
There was even a hint of excitement in her voice—Mirajane's strongest magic might not be Satan Soul, but rather the power of gossip.
"A third? Isn't that a love triangle mess?" Rhodes got excited too. Was this guy about to crash and burn?
"Quick, let me borrow your mirror!"
"Why use a mirror?"
"He runs away whenever he sees me, and then I miss all the drama. Hurry!"
Rhodes even scooted over to make room, patting the empty space next to him, "Come here, let's watch together."
Sure enough, Mirajane also worried that Loke would escape, and she quietly "stealthily" moved next to Rhodes, taking out the small mirror she just had.
The two of them leaned in together, openly spying.
They saw a girl sitting beside Loke and another sitting across from him. It seemed like the two of them were fighting over who got to feed Loke.
That enviable bastard.
The real excitement came when the third girl entered, having seen Loke on a date with someone else and barged in.
She was angry and sad, questioning if Loke's love for her was fake.
Rhodes silently lamented—this girl was too gentle. Why didn't she just give him a good slap?
However, Loke adjusted his glasses, sincerely expressed his love, and the girl's anger immediately disappeared. She even affectionately clung to his arm.
This upset the other two girls, and it seemed like a fight was about to break out.
Loke leaned in and whispered something to each girl, and then the two earlier ones blushed, smiling as they left.
Rhodes was dumbfounded, "How... how did he do that?"
Mirajane shook her head lightly, "I don't know. In this area, Loke is definitely the guild's best."
Just like a straight line of charm.
The small mirror wasn't like a cell phone; it only offered a limited view of Loke, so the two had to stay close.
So close that Rhodes could smell the fragrance of Mirajane's hair, and her hair brushed against his cheek when she gently shook her head.
Even if he didn't see the love triangle mess he was hoping for, this was still a win for Rhodes.
Mirajane found this amusing as well—definitely worth it.
...
The next day, in the guild's backyard.
Mirajane spoke each word carefully, seriously explaining the Take Over magic:
"The most important thing for Take Over magic is familiarity, or rather control. You need to be able to handle every form seamlessly."
After speaking her mind yesterday, Mirajane no longer opposed Rhodes learning Take Over magic.
And thus, Mirajane returned to being Teacher Mira.
As for the original instructor, Saint Wizard Makarov, the third Master of Fairy Tail...
Mirajane had sent him off to write a report.
The old man was completely confused as to why Mirajane was suddenly so stern, even ordering him to quit drinking.
"There's a major issue—Take Over magic consumes far more mana than summoning. I can't practice for long every day."
The best way, of course, would be to increase his mana capacity, but that was a gradual process.
Even with Rhodes' current modest mana base, it would take several weeks of intensive training to see noticeable progress.
And to maintain Rhodes' usual routine of all-around training...
Mirajane thought for a moment, "In that case, you could try 'Partial Take Over,' like only taking over an arm or just both legs.
"This way, you can train specific abilities individually. Once you're familiar with them, you can use 'Full Take Over' for further training."
Elfman currently used Partial Take Over the most.
For the same reasons as Mirajane, he was unable to use Full Take Over now.
Partial Take Over is less challenging than Full Take Over, and it also consumes less mana.
Of course, its power can't compare to Full Take Over.
It may not be strong enough for combat, but for a beginner, it's perfect for training.
"That works too." Rhodes agreed to try, "Partial Take Over: Canyon Strider Soul - Right Arm!"
Bright spots of light flickered on Rhodes' right arm before it was covered in green armor plating, extending all the way to his shoulder.
It was indeed much easier!
He moved his right arm a bit, noticing a significant increase in strength.
And the effect... it gave him an Iron Man kind of vibe.
Rhodes extended his left arm and used Partial Take Over again—the green armor extended from his arm all the way to his chest.
"Your control over the magic isn't precise enough, but for just starting, being able to switch seamlessly between Full and Partial Take Over is impressive, Rhodes," Mirajane praised. She herself had once been troubled by not being able to change her arm back.
Rhodes smiled. He didn't consider himself exceptional.
His fast progress could very well be because the beasts fully obeyed his orders.
He didn't need to engage in a battle of will or spirit like other Take Over users.
So, using the power of beasts was much easier for him compared to others using Take Over magic.
Rhodes practiced for a while as Mirajane shared the tricks she'd learned.
She also used her own experience to correct Rhodes' unnecessary movements during combat.
"Mirajane~ there's a mission I'd like to take!"
"Coming."
It wasn't until someone interrupted them that Mirajane let Rhodes practice on his own.
Swish, swish. Rhodes swung his arm, now a crab pincer—there's nothing better than some good training.